The National Institute of Standards and Technology is accepting applications for its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program at its Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder, Colo., campuses. The SURF program encourages the pursuit of graduate degrees in science and engineering by exposing undergraduate students to cutting-edge research and providing them the opportunity to work with internationally known NIST scientists.

Applications for SURF are submitted on behalf of qualified students by their schools. Colleges and universities in the United States and its territories with degree-granting programs in nanoscale science, engineering, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, biology, materials science, neutron research, or physics are eligible to nominate students.

NIST expects to fund stipends for approximately 90 students in Gaithersburg and about 18 students in Boulder, working in laboratories that focus on information technology, physical measurement, material measurement, nanoscale science, engineering, or neutron research.

In 2012, research projects spanned a variety of scientific disciplines and included, for example, measurements of vitamin A in northern fur seals, developing new thermometers based on ultrasonic transducers, creating environmentally friendly flame retardant coatings, controlling greenhouse gases, characterizing nanoparticles, and developing gesture recognition software for a 3D visualization lab.

Visit the Gaithersburg or Boulder announcements at Grants.gov to download details on eligibility, limits on submissions, and the application.

Applications are due Feb. 15, 2013—by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time for electronic applications; 5 p.m. Eastern Time for paper Gaithersburg applications; and 5 p.m. Mountain Time for paper Boulder applications). The applications must be submitted by eligible colleges and universities, not by individual students.